About Cumming
Cumming is the county seat of Forsyth County and it is about 40 miles north of Atlanta on U.S. Route 19 (Georgia Route 400). According to the U.S. Census in 2000, the population of Cumming was 4,220 and its total land area is 5.9 square miles. However, those statistics refer to the incorporated City of Cumming within the zip codes 30040 and 30041. There are at least 100,000 people living in unincorporated areas of Forsyth County whose mailing addresses are also in the same zip codes and the entire area is referred to as Cumming by the residents.
In 2000, the median income for a household in Cumming was $38,237, the median income for a family was $47,270, and the per capita income was $16,445. In 2008, the cost of living index in Cumming was 91.6% of the national cost of living index and the population density was comparatively low at 993 people per square mile. During each work week, Cumming’s population increases by 200% as more than 8,400 people commute to their jobs in Cumming. The nearest cities and towns are Silver City (6.5 miles), Big Creek (7.4 miles), Sugar Hill (9.8 miles), Chestatee, (10.6 miles) and Buford (11.5 miles), and the nearest large city to Cumming with a population of over 50,000 is Roswell.
Forsyth County is the fastest growing county in Georgia
Forsyth County was ranked by the U.S. Census as the fastest growing county in Georgia and one of the biggest reasons for the population growth is Lake Lanier, a 38,000 acre reservoir that was created when Buford Dam was constructed in 1956. Before Buford Dam, the region consisted of gently rolling and forested countryside interspersed with valleys. Blocking the Chattahoochee River with the dam filled up the valleys and created a gorgeous lake with a thickly forested shoreline. This picturesque lake region quickly evolved into a resort area with a wide variety of available recreational activities. It was the creation of this prime piece of man-made resort land that enabled Cumming to grow into a prosperous city because demand for business services grew when the number of tourists to Cumming increased dramatically.
In 1962, the Georgia State Legislature established the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority to manage and develop Lake Lanier’s resources as a recreational venue for the citizens of Georgia. Lake Lanier and the Lake Lanier Islands Resort attract over 7.5 million tourists to the area each year and Cumming’s economy has flourished by accommodating the influx of visitors. The expansion of U.S. Route 19 (Georgia Route 400) leading from Atlanta to Cumming and sustained low interest rates also enabled many new homebuyers to purchase homes in Cumming during the 1990’s. Cumming is located far enough away from Atlanta to maintain the kind of friendly small town country feeling that many people prefer while at the same time offering the convenience of a relatively short commute to all the urban amenities in Atlanta.